What does Eurydice's fate mean to Creon?

Greek plays were performed as part of religious ceremonies, and their goal was to teach the audience valuable lessons. In Antigone, Creon is guilty of extreme pride and stubborn arrogance. By refusing to bury Polyneices, Creon has defied the gods. Despite warnings from Antigone and the wise prophet Teiresias, Creon will not repent, humble himself, and admit he made a mistake.

Eurydice is Creon’s wife, mother of Haemon. At the climax of the play we learn that Antigone has hanged herself and Haemon killed himself after attempting to kill his father. Eurydice overhears the messenger delivering this news and rushes to her room, where she curses her husband as she commits suicide.

This is the final blow for Creon. He was already grieving over the deaths of Antigone and Haemon. He fully realized that he was to blame because of his pride. When Eurydice dies cursing him, Creon sinks into complete despair. He has lost both his wife and son, the two people whom he loves more than any other. If Eurydice had lived perhaps Creon could have managed to carry on. But her death, especially when she died hating him, leaves him with no hope for the future. He begs for death himself.

“Oh, let it come, let it appear, that fairest of fates for me, that brings my last day,-aye, best fate of all! Oh, let it come, that I may never look upon to-morrow's light… Lead me away, I pray you; a rash, foolish man; who have slain thee, ah my son, unwittingly, and thee, too, my wife-unhappy that I am! I know not which way I should bend my gaze, or where I should seek support; for all is amiss with that which is in my hands,-and yonder, again, a crushing fate hath leapt upon my head.”

Creon learns his lesson about pride too late.

When a piece of metal is illuminated by a monochromatic light of wavelength lambda, then stopping potential is 3Vs. When the same surface is...

The stopping potential refers to the potential difference required to stop an electron emitted from a metal after it is illuminated by the light. This potential difference is equal to the kinetic energy with which electron leaves the metal:

`K = hf - phi` .

This is called photoelectric equation. Here, h is the Plank's constant, f is the frequency of the incident light and `phi` is the work function of the metal. The work function is related to the threshold frequency of the incident light: `phi = hf_0` , where `f_0` is the minimum frequency for which any electrons will be emitted.

The frequency of light can be expressed through its wavelength `lambda` as

`f = c/lambda` , where c is the speed of light.

In the given problem, the stopping potential for the light with wavelength `lambda`

is 3V. The photoelectric equation becomes

`3V =(hc)/lambda - phi`

The stopping potential for the light with wavelength `2lambda ` is V:

`V = (hc)/(2lambda) - phi`

These two equations can be solved together for the work function. Multiplying the second equation by -2 and adding it to the first equation results in

`V = phi`

The work function equals `phi = (hc)/lambda_0=V` , where `lambda_0` is the threshold wavelength. Combining this with second of the photoelectric equations, we get

`(hc)/lambda_0 = (hc)/(2lambda) - (hc)/lambda_0`

From here,

`(2hc)/lambda_0 = (hc)/(2lambda)` . Taking reciprocal in both sides results in

`lambda_0/2 = 2lambda`

` <br>`

and `lambda_0 = 4lambda` .

The threshold wavelength for photoelectric emission is choice 2, `4lambda` .

Why does the grandmother in " A Good Man is Hard to Find" constantly reminisce about the past, and in what way does she recall the past and why?

Like many older people, the Grandmother remembers the past as better than the present. She reminisces about it in part because that is typically what older people do, but also because she has low status in the family. Her low status is indicated by the fact that she sits in the back seat of the car with the children, they are allowed to be rude to her, and when she wants to visit an old plantation, she has to manipulate them into asking to see it before their father, Bailey, will agree to turn off the main highway to look for it. The Grandmother uses the past to critique how her grandchildren behave:

 "In my time," said the grandmother, folding her thin veined fingers, "children were more respectful of their native states and their parents and everything else. People did right then."

In the Grandmother's memory, the past was a more gracious time when people could be trusted and ladies acted like ladies. She still dresses like a lady, complete with swiss dotted dress, lace collar and cuffs and a hat, whereas her daughter-in-law wears the more casual and comfortable styles of the 1950s.

The Misfit, the murderer rumored to be lurking in the area, represents the unstable new times in which a person can't be too careful.  As the Grandmother says to Big Sam, who owns the burger joint where the family stops for lunch, "People are certainly not nice like they used to be."

We may suspect that the old days were not that great,  but we find out for a fact that the present has its horrors. 

What are the most important themes that run through both Chapters 17 and 18 in Howard Zinn's "The People's History"?

One of the most important themes in Chapters 17 and 18 in A People's History of the United States is that individual action can have profound effects on social and political policy.

In chapter 17, Zinn focuses on the "black revolt of the 1950s and 1960s."  He is very direct in how he opens the chapter.  Zinn details how specific writers and thinkers viewed the racial divide that defined America.  The impressions of Countee Cullen, Langston Hughes were matched with the organizing efforts of Angelo Herndon and Hosea Hudson.  In each of these perceptions, Zinn makes clear that in order for sweeping social and political change to take place, individual action was needed.  Zinn views the Civil Rights struggle in terms of action vs. inaction.  Zinn's narrative focuses on inaction of government and those in the position of power against those at the bottom rung of society who seek to create change.  He details this theme with examples of student sit- ins and protests, "Freedom Riders," and stories of how individual action was critical to change.  Zinn does not suggest that legal equality in the form of Brown vs. Board of Education or efforts from the Kennedy Administration created lasting change.  Rather, he suggests that change was created through individuals displaying power from the bottom up in the form of the Civil Rights Movement.

This theme of individual action bringing about massive change is continued in Chapter 18.  He emphasizes this in his opening to the chapter on the Vietnam War:

From 1964 to 1972, the wealthiest and most powerful nation in the history of the world made a maximum military effort, with everything short of atomic bombs, to defeat a nationalist revolutionary movement in a tiny, peasant country-and failed. When the United States fought in Vietnam, it was organized modern technology versus organized human beings, and the human beings won.

When Zinn writes "the human beings won," it is a reminder of how individual action is critical to creating change.  In Chapter 18, Zinn makes the argument that the geopolitical control was underlying American action in Vietnam.  He does this by citing memorandum that affirmed the importance of the "domino theory," and through detailing how American interests were protected through intervention in Vietnam.  Yet, Zinn also discusses how American opposition to the war arose through individual action. Journalists such as Seymour Hersh in reporting about the My Lai massacre sought to increase public outrage towards the war.  Zinn also talks about how Vietnamese citizens saw the battle as one of national identity.  They did not see it as a geopolitical struggle against Communism.  Rather, these individuals saw their own nation's freedom threatened with American action in Vietnam.  In these examples, Zinn affirms the theme of individual action creating lasting change because American victory in the region became "impossible."

In Shakespeare's Hamlet, Hamlet starts to act mad. Is he insane or not?

In Shakespeare's Hamlet, Hamlet learns from the Ghost (the spirit of his dead father, Old Hamlet) that Claudius, Hamlet's uncle, is responsible for Old Hamlet's death.

In the play thus far, the audience has had no inkling that Old Hamlet was murdered. The audience can see that young Hamlet, already devastated by his father's untimely death, is not only completely surprised by the news of his father's murder, but also frantic and furious. Even without knowing the identity of the murderer, Hamlet's spontaneous response is to take immediate action:

HAMLET:

Haste me to know't, that I, with wings as swift
As meditation or the thoughts of love,
May sweep to my revenge. (I.v.33-35)

The audience can imagine Hamlet's desire for revenge, and the Ghost has asked for it. It is at this point that the Ghost shares information about his murder, describing to his son (and the audience) what was said to have happened to Old Hamlet, and what actually took place. Though the kingdom believes that the dead king was napping in the orchard and bitten by a poisonous snake, the Ghost reveals that the only snake in the orchard was Claudius with the intent to assassinate his brother and take his crown.

At this, Hamlet is stunned. However, he does not act at that moment, but stays to listen to the Ghost, perhaps growing calmer and angrier—so his need for immediate revenge is dampened somewhat.

The Ghost describes not only Claudius' theft of the crown of Denmark, but also his theft of Gertrude's (Hamlet's mother) love. The Ghost goes on to describe the poison Claudius used and how he administered it: visiting Hamlet's sleeping father at a time when everyone knew his customary practice of napping, when he was left unguarded.

By now, Hamlet is completely horrified. His father calls for Hamlet to avenge his murder, but not to harm his mother in the process. Then the Ghost departs with the rising of the sun.

At this point, Hamlet begins to rant and rave, furious not only by what Claudius has done, but by the ease with which his murderous uncle covers up the deed—hiding behind a smile:

O villain, villain, smiling, damned villain!
My tables—meet it is I set it down
That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain;
At least I am sure it may be so in Denmark.
So, uncle, there you are. Now to my word:
It is ‘Adieu, adieu! Remember me.’
I have sworn't. (111-117)

The young prince knows that his father was murdered. He understands that his uncle is not only responsible, but he is also married now to Gertrude, and by Elizabethan standards, a brother who married his sibling's wife was committing incest. Hamlet recognizes that while Claudius may smile and fool everyone else, beneath his mask rests a villain—the murderer of his brother and his king. Hamlet now knows the truth and notes that he has given his word to his dead father's ghost—he will not forget what the Ghost has told him, and he will exact revenge upon Claudius.

As Hamlet returns to his friends, he (and the Ghost) swears them all to secrecy about seeing the spirit walking the ramparts. Hamlet then shares the truth with them. Hamlet has a conversation with Horatio, and it appears that a plan begins to form in his mind. Hamlet will, he says, avenge his father's death. However, he prepares Horatio so he will not be surprised when Hamlet begins to act insane. In this, the first act of the play, Hamlet lets Horatio (and the audience) know that from now on, he will pretend to be insane.

As I perchance hereafter shall think meet
To put an antic disposition on... (191-192)

Hamlet's "antic disposition" (pretense of madness) will give him time to find proof of the Ghost's news. We should remember that while many critics find fault with Hamlet's failure to seek revenge immediately, Hamlet must be careful. First, the Elizabethan audience believed that killing a king was a mortal sin. Hamlet does not want to jeopardize his soul. The Ghost has already shared some description of his own suffering in the afterlife because he died without the benefit of confession—and so must pay for the sins he carried to his death. The Elizabethans were also extremely superstitious: they believed that the devil could trick people into doing things that would damn them for eternity: so Hamlet needs to be certain that the Ghost is "honest," and not sent by the forces of evil to cause Hamlet to act rashly or sinfully, and lose his immortal soul.

The other difficulty is that Hamlet is now aware that he cannot be certain who he can trust. He had not suspected his uncle before. Now he can only wonder if he can trust his mother (Gertrude) or even his sweetheart, Ophelia, as well as others at his uncle's court.

Hamlet knows he must move carefully and remain one step ahead of his uncle. By behaving strangely (blamed on his pretended madness), his actions can be attributed to insanity brought on by his grief over his father's death, and remove any suspicion Claudius might have.

Hamlet says from the moment he learns of his father's murder, that he will pretend to be mad. This is part of his plan. The audience would probably agree that he does a good job of it. However, if he were truly insane, I believe Hamlet would, at some point, have lost his focus on what he needed to do for his dead father. Hamlet never does, even though it costs him the life of nearly everyone he cares about, as well as his own.

Do you think that the tycoons of the late 19th century are best described as ruthless robber barons or as effective captains of industry?

The Gilded Age brought unprecedented levels of wealth and success to a select group of American entrepreneurs. Historians have long debated whether these men were captains of industry or robber barons, a derogatory term which suggests that they got rich by exploiting those below them.

To answer this question, let's take a look at John D. Rockefeller, the country's first billionaire. Rockefeller had a humble background and entered the workforce as a shipping clerk. When Edwin Drake discovered oil in Pennsylvania in 1859, Rockefeller saw an opportunity and refocused all of his money and interests into this new industry. In a few short years, Rockefeller completely revolutionised the oil refinery process by introducing new techniques. To eliminate waste, he sold off the by-products of kerosene, namely petroleum jelly, to candlemakers and medical supply companies. He even sold the waste from the jelly to companies who paved America's roads. In this respect, Rockefeller's reforms made him a true captain of industry.

However, Rockefeller's business practices kept his profits soaring while smaller oil companies crumbled. He was also criticised for paying low wages to his workforce and getting rich at their expense. To some extent, then, Rockefeller was very much a robber baron but his philanthropic activities should be considered too; before his death in 1937, he gave away almost half of his fortune to charity. 

How does the writer describe the sea in "The Most Dangerous Game"?

The sea is often described as menacing with figurative language.

Figurative language is a type of description that uses non-literal language.  The most common types of figurative language are simile, which is an indirect comparison saying something is like something else, metaphor, which is a direct comparison, and personification, which describes something nonhuman with human traits.

The story takes place on a Caribbean island, so there are plenty of times to mention the sea.  In the beginning, Rainsford is on a yacht passing by Ship-trap Island.

The sea is described with this simile.

"There was no breeze. The sea was as flat as a plate-glass window. We were drawing near the island then. What I felt was a--a mental chill; a sort of sudden dread."

This simile compares the sea to a big window.  It means that there are no waves on the sea because there is no breeze.  It adds to the creepy foreboding sense of the story at this point.

When Rainsford falls off the yacht into the ocean, personification is used to describe the sea.

Rainsford remembered the shots. They had come from the right, and doggedly he swam in that direction, swimming with slow, deliberate strokes, conserving his strength. For a seemingly endless time he fought the sea. He began to count his strokes; he could do possibly a hundred more and then—

When the sea is described as something you can fight, it underscores the struggle that Rainsford is facing.  As he is swimming, it is so difficult that it is almost as if the sea is fighting back.  Rainsford reinforces this when he refers to the sea as his enemy.

Personification or metaphor is also used to describe the sea lapping on the shore. 

His eyes made out the shadowy outlines of a palatial chateau; it was set on a high bluff, and on three sides of it cliffs dived down to where the sea licked greedy lips in the shadows.

Either animals or people can have lips, so the comparison is not necessarily personification.  It is figurative though, because obviously the sea cannot actual lick.  The description adds to the menacing characterization of the sea.

What factors led up to Germany becoming an industrial power?

Germany started its move towards industrialization by increasing food production. This led to an increasing rate of rural to urban migration. This translated into increased labor supply in the industrial towns.

Germany enforced an advanced level of protectionism through the Zollverein. The Zollverein, which was basically the Customs Union, was responsible for tariff regulation within territories formed by the coalition of German states. The Zollverein eliminated trade barriers in a variety of industries. This started with the textile industry, which led to its growth.

Germany made investments in its transport infrastructure by building a robust railway network. This expanded the market for the country’s products and services. An increasing market size led to the increasing need for more energy to drive the vast economy. This forced Germany to increase investments in coal production to provide the highly needed energy.

The end of feudalism and serfdom in parts of Germany, especially the southern side of the Rhine Valley helped end restriction to industry and commerce. This was achieved by liberating access to resources essential for industrialization.

Germany also developed a robust banking system that offered essential monetary services and general financial guidance to the emerging industries.

What is the setting of the story in "Lamb to the Slaughter"?

There is no indication to the exact location (as in city or even country) that the story is set.  However, knowing that the author, Roald Dahl, is British, and with the word "Hullo" used instead of "Hello," the reader gets the feel that this story is set in a small town in England.  It is such a small town that Mary knows the grocer, Sam, by name, and can walk there from her house.  She also seems to know the detectives who come to investigate the death of her husband.  Setting also includes time, but there is also no indication as to the year when this story took place; there is a mention of a car, so it must be set in modern times at least.

One could also say that the setting is simply the Maloney house, since Patrick's death occurs there as does most of the action of the story.  The only time that the action occurs outside of the house is when Mary goes to the grocer to set up her alibi.

What was the sign in Farewell to Manazar to Jeanne of how to cross what she called "intangible barriers"?

In Chapter 20: "A Double Impulse," Jeanne is only in the seventh grade when she realizes that her budding sexuality and femininity are a tool for crossing invisible barriers. By wearing a sparkly uniform with a short skirt and strutting in parades while twirling a baton, Jeanne experiences appreciation and acceptance from the Boy Scouts and their fathers. This is, significantly, after Jeanne has been rejected from participating in Girl Scouts on the basis of her race. She interprets the marching and the warm reception it receives as "the first sure sign of how certain intangible barriers might be crossed."

Looking back on these events as an adult with a mature understanding and the benefit of retrospect, Jeanne explains that her femininity could be a powerful took for breaking free from limitations placed on her due to being Japanese.

However, at the same time, Jeanne notes that this use of her physical charms is just another way of effacing herself as a person, as an individual: "this is usually just another form of invisibility," she explains. What she means is that, even though she is conspicuously marching in a parade in an attention-grabbing outfit, she's simultaneously invisible: the men watching her see her sparkles and her sexiness, but not her face or her personality. Acceptance, then, comes at a heavy price.

What is Steve's reason for being in the convenience store in Monster?

According to both Osvaldo and Richard "Bobo" Evans, Steve's part in the robbery was to walk into the convenience store to see if there were any police officers. Steve was then supposed to give a signal to Bobo and James King as he walked out of the store to let them know that the coast was clear. When Steve walked out of the store, he gave no signal to Bobo or King, which they assumed meant that there were no police in the store. When it is Steve's turn to testify, he says that he never entered the convenience store. Steve tells Petrocelli that he was walking around the neighborhood, taking mental notes of places to film for his school project. However, on Saturday, July 11th, Steve mentions that he simply walked into the drugstore to look for some mints and then walked out. In addition to Steve admitting that he was in the store looking for mints, there are several pictures taken from a security camera in the store of Steve walking through the isles. Dean specifically makes Steve's actions obscure for the reader to draw their own conclusions regarding why he decided to enter the store and left without giving an explicit signal. Steve says that he was simply looking for mints, but he was supposed to be checking to see if any police were on duty.

In what way is Candy similar to his dog? How does this further explain his reluctance to do what Carlson suggests? (Of Mice and Men Chapter 3)

Candy is similar to his dog in several ways. First, they are both old and past their prime. The dog is described as "lame" and Candy has lost a hand. Candy very reluctantly allows the dog to be shot as a way to put him out of his misery. Clearly, his strong identification with his dog makes it difficult to part with it. We then hear how worried Candy is about his own future as he asks eagerly to be part of George and Lennie's dream of owning their own small farm. In talking to George and Lennie, he compares himself to his dog:

 You seen what they done to my dog tonight? They says he wasn’t no good to himself nor nobody else. When they can me here I wisht somebody’d shoot me. But they won’t do nothing like that. I won’t have no place to go, an’ I can’t get no more jobs.

In other words, Candy sees his dog as having met a better fate than he will once he is let go from the ranch. But their ends are similar: both essentially lose the chance to live once they are too old to work. For Candy, the dream of the farm provides some hope: he imagines cooking and hoeing in the garden and being able to stay alive in his old age with companionship and dignity. 

Why does the Nurse take so long to tell Juliet about Romeo's response?

As she does in Act I, Scene 3 (when she carries on about Juliet's age), the Nurse provides a good deal of light hearted comedy in Act II, Scene 5 when she playfully evades Juliet's anxious requests for news from Romeo. The Nurse claims that she needs a few moments to compose herself, and she has been through a bit of an ordeal as she was rudely accosted by Mercutio in the street before she was able to speak with Romeo in the previous scene. She complains to Juliet, "I am aweary. Give me leave awhile./Fie, how my bones ache! What a jaunt have I!" The Nurse obviously senses Juliet's restlessness and exploits it, probably for her own pleasure. Juliet and the Nurse are, in many ways, very close friends and share each other's secrets. It is often typical of friends to tease each other and this is precisely what the Nurse is doing as she knows full well that Juliet is bursting at the seams to learn Romeo's plans. Eventually, the Nurse reveals that Juliet should come to Friar's Laurence cell where she will be married to Romeo. 

Hi I need help with the question below, I need to use arithmetic sequences to solve the question! "Mandy's friend Hahn deposited $200 in a bank...

Hello!

Let's find the month interest rate `m,` then the year (simple) interest rate will be `12m.`

There are `6` full months elapsed till the end of June. The entire amount deposited is `6*$200=$1200.` So the profit is `$6.30.`

At the first month the profit was `m*$200.` At the second, `(2m)*$200` ($200 was deposited two times). Then `(3m)*$200` and so on, up to `(6m)*$200` (including). This is an arithmetic sequence, each term is $200 greater than the previous.

We want to find the sum of an arithmetic sequence with `6` terms, whose first term is `200m` and the last is `6*200m.`

The formula is `S_n=n(a_1+a_n)/2,`

here it is `6*(200m+6*200m)/2=200m*21($).`

And this is the profit, it is equal to `$6.30.` So `200m=0.3,` `m=0.0015.` It is the same as `0.15%` (monthly). Yearly it is `12*0.15%=1.8%.`

The answer: the annual rate of simple interest is 1.8%.

How can the story of Henrietta Lacks' influence help us understand the role of the geriatric DNP?

The life experiences of two characters in Skloot's The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks can help us understand more about the role of the geriatric DPN. Both Henrietta and her daughter are black women from poor families, lacking in education. For both of them, poverty and ignorance are major obstacles to health care. 

Henrietta died from advanced cervical cancer, a disease that is treatable if caught early. In her case, both the distance from medical care and the alien quality of the generally white male medical establishment formed obstacles to her care. Lack of communication and her tendency to regard medical staff as authoritative rather than responsive both were obstacles to care. For the DPN, this suggests that social factors are as important in care as purely medical ones. To treat patients like Henrietta, the DPN needs to offer accessible care in local communities rather than just care in distant urban hospitals. Also, the DPN needs to take the time in consultations to ensure that the patient really understands the medical issues in full, rather than just assuming that nodding and agreeing means understanding.

Deborah suffered from diabetes, and her discussions with Skloot show the issues of management of chronic diseases in poor, uneducated rural people. The geriatric DPN is often engaged in treating chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, coronary diseases, cancer, and dementia. For these diseases, preventive medicine, regular testing, and patient compliance with treatment plans are often a key to disease management. Patients such as the Lacks family do not have a network of middle class, educated family members to support their care. Thus much of the focus of the DPN needs to be on making care and medication easily available on a regular basis, educating the patient, and having some way of monitoring compliance, perhaps through mobile apps and perhaps through coordination with social services. The main lesson the geriatric DPN can learn from this book concern how the social and economic circumstances of the patient can affect care.

Kinetic and potential energy are the two types of energy that relate to?

There are various forms of energy and kinetic and potential energies are the most commonly known forms of energy. These two forms relate to the motion and position of an object, respectively.

Kinetic energy is related to the motion of a given object as per the following equation:

`KE = 1/2 mv^2`

where, m is mass of the object and v is its velocity. Thus, the faster an object is moving, more will be its kinetic energy.

Similarly, potential energy is related to the position of an object and is given as:

PE = mgh

where, g is acceleration due to gravity and h is its height. Thus, higher an object (with respect to some datum), more is its potential energy.

The various forms of energy can be converted to each other. For example, when we throw a ball up in the air, its kinetic energy is converted to its potential energy, during its upward motion. The ball will reach a maximum height, stop and then fall down. During the downward motion, potential energy converts to the kinetic energy.

Hope this helps. 

When it says "how does it happen, tell me" two times, can that be considered anaphora?

Anaphora is a rhetorical device in which word or phrase is repeated in order to achieve some dramatic effect or meaning. It only needs to be repeated once but it can be repeated many times. So, this does qualify as anaphora. Judge Somers complains to the auditor(s) because his grave is unmarked. He can not accept, being such an important man in his time (according to him), that he would be ignored and forgotten after his death. The repeated "How does it happen, tell me" expresses his extreme frustration. It is the repetition that multiplies this frustration. The fact that he also repeats "tell me" also suggests an ignorance or an unwillingness to understand why his grave is unmarked. He thinks he was at least as important as Chase Henry. 

What are some examples of internal and external conflict in the Lord of the Flies?

Examples of internal conflict would be Jack wanting to be leader whilst having to settle to play the role of chief hunter in the tribe. This caused Jack some amount of internal conflict because Jack was accustomed to being a leader. He was head chorister and in his mind was more talented than the other boys - he could sing C- sharp. This internal conflict eventually broiled over into external conflict and on two occasions he challenges Ralph to leadership of the clan of boys. On his first attempt he is embarrassed but on his second attempt he is successful.

The main external conflict is between Jack and Ralph - the latter being the protagonist of the novel. It simmers to a head in chapter 12 when Jack and the band of boys go hunting to find Ralph and kill him.

I need help finding quotes for the theme of isolation in the book Frankenstein, but the 2nd edition, not the 1818 edition.

Isolation is a profound and dominant theme in the book Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. In her second publication of Frankenstein in 1831, there are numerous quotes about isolation for both Victor and the creature. For example:

Victor discusses his time in solitude making the creature.

“In a solitary chamber, or rather cell, at the top of the house, and separated from all the other apartments by a gallery and staircase, I kept my workshop of filthy creation.”

Furthermore, Victor reveals that he had been neglecting communicating with his loved ones.

"And the same feelings which made me neglect the scenes around me caused me also to forget those friends who were so many miles absent, and whom I had not seen for so long a time."

Not only did Victor feel isolated, but the creature echoed these feelings as well.

“If such lovely creatures were miserable, it was less strange that I, an imperfect and solitary being, should be wretched.”

The creature also illustrated this point while talking with De Lacey.

"I am an unfortunate and deserted creature, I look around and I have no relation or friend upon earth. These amiable people to whom I go have never seen me and know little of me. I am full of fears, for if I fail there, I am an outcast in the world forever."

These are a few example of the many quotes about isolation found in the 1831 edition of Frankenstein. Although there are numerous others, these illustrate the profound isolation that both characters felt and continued to feel throughout the novel. 

What connotation is implied by saying, “He’s just a Cunningham” in To Kill a Mockingbird (pg. 20 or 24)? All the town folks knew the...

The Cunninghams are poor and therefore low on the totem pole of Maycomb society.

There are certain families in Maycomb that are very well known. The Cunninghams are farmers and are fairly impoverished. They are described as an “enormous and confusing tribe domiciled in the northern part of the county” (Ch. 1). Scout's classmate, Walter Cunningham, is clearly poor.

Walter Cunningham’s face told everybody in the first grade he had hookworms. His absence of shoes told us how he got them. People caught hookworms going barefooted in barnyards and hog wallows. (Ch. 2)

Miss Caroline is not from Maycomb, and does not understand the community’s ways. She asks Walter Cunningham where his lunch is and then tries to lend him money when he doesn’t have one.  Scout explains that you do not lend money to a Cunningham.

“Walter’s one of the Cunninghams, Miss Caroline.”

“I beg your pardon, Jean Louise?”

“That’s okay, ma’am, you’ll get to know all the county folks after a while. The Cunninghams never took anything they can’t pay back—no church baskets and no scrip stamps. (Ch. 2)

No Cunningham will take money from someone without paying it back. Scout knows about the Cunninghams because when Walter’s father needed Atticus's services he paid for them with goods instead of money. Atticus explained to Scout that the farmers were poor, and that often led to professionals like himself also being poor because no one was able to pay them.

When Walter doesn’t have any lunch, Scout invites him home to eat with her. He pours syrup over his food and she is so surprised that she comments on it. Calpurnia scolds her, and she tells her that Walter is not company, “he’s just a Cunningham-” (Ch. 3). To Scout, Walter’s lower social class makes him less significant and not worthy of special respect.

Atticus and Calpurnia do treat Walter respectfully, however.  Atticus talks with Walter as if he were an adult, and Calpurnia tells Scout that anyone who is in her house is her company and she has no right to be “so high and mighty” as to comment on things that he does as if she is better than him.

Why is water so versatile as a solvent thus allowing life on earth?

Water is essential to all living things on Earth. It is due to water's strong ability as a solvent that it is seen as a strong indicator of the presence of life.

Water is composed of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. The oxygen atom is very electronegative, so it holds the two electrons from the hydrogen atoms in its outer shell, giving the oxygen end of the molecule a negative charge. The hydrogen end of the molecule has a positive charge. This means water is a polar compound and will be attracted to a multitude of molecules and able to dissolve a range of materials. Water is so good at dissolving so many things that it has been given the label "the universal solvent," indicating that there aren't too many things water won't dissolve. It is this ability to dissolve many substances that makes it a valuable commodity to living things, such as human beings.

Our bodies are composed 70% of water. Without water, the cells of our bodies could not conduct life processes. It is in the water solution that many molecules such as glucose, oxygen, and carbon dioxide are processed and utilized for necessary daily tasks.

Scientists have determined the ages of rock samples from other places in the solar system. Why are rock samples from other parts of the solar...

Scientists assume that the Earth and other solid planets and moons formed at about the same time as each other. It has been difficult to determine the age of the Earth itself directly because of the disruption caused by plate tectonics, and the resulting melting and recycling of the rocks. From rock samples collected on the moon, and from meteorites that have been found on Earth that can be dated using radioactive isotopes, scientists feel they have a better estimate of their age, and therefore the age of the Earth. According to the US Geological Survey 

...The best age for the Earth (4.54 Ga) is based on old, presumed single-stage leads coupled with the Pb ratios in troilite from iron meteorites, specifically the Canyon Diablo meteorite.

In other words, the radioactive decay of the minerals in these meteorites helps to date the age of the Earth--as well as the rest of the solar system-- to 4.53 and 4.58 billion years ago. The Canyon Diablo meteorite is the name given to the meteorite that created the Barringer Crater near Flagstaff, Arizona.

What is self pollination? I want the process of it please.

Sometimes a flower may contain both male and female sex organs and is capable of self-pollination. An example of this type of plant is the typical garden pea plant.

The male stamen produce pollen in the anther at the top of this sex organ. The female pistil contains an ovary at the bottom with ovules and eggs inside.

If wind or an insect transfers pollen from the flower's anther and places it on top of the pistil (its stigma)  within the same flower, it will stick there. Next, it germinates downward from the stigma, to the style to the ovary by making a pollen tube.

Once the pollen tube enters the ovule, there is a transfer of one sperm nucleus to fertilize the egg cell within to create a fertilized egg (zygote). This is destined to become the embryo plant.

A second fertilization occurs when another sperm nucleus enters the ovule and fertilizes two polar nuclei in the ovule to become endosperm--a triploid material that will serve as a food supply for the developing plant.

The ovule will harden into a seed coat containing both the embryo plant and its food supply. The ovary which contained the ovules develops into a larger fruit. 

In self-pollination, the two gametes that are fusing together came from one parent plant. There would be more variation in the offspring if the gametes came from two different plants such as when an insect transfers pollen from a different plant in the garden to another plant, or when wind transports pollen from one plant to another.

Was the Watergate political scandal, the break-in at Democratic headquarters by Nixon administration-induced burglars, or the cover-up itself that...

The entire Watergate Scandal, not just one part of it, shattered the nation’s confidence in the government. The idea that a sitting President and his closest advisors felt the need to break the law and then try to cover it up was unthinkable to many Americans.

President Nixon was very concerned that the Vietnam War would cost him a chance at getting reelected. He had promised to get us out of Vietnam when he ran for President in 1968. By the time the election of 1972 approached, we were still in Vietnam, and the peace talks weren’t progressing very much. President Nixon and his advisors really feared they would lose the election of 1972.

The break-in at the Watergate building was authorized by Nixon’s closest aids. Most Americans really didn’t believe the President had any connection to this event. However, due to the thorough reporting of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein from the Washington Post, more information was uncovered that seemed to link the White House in various ways to the break-in. Americans were shocked that the White House would be involved in this activity in order to get reelected. When the Senate began to investigate, it was learned that the President had tape-recorded conversations in the White House. These tapes suggested that President Nixon was involved in the cover-up of the crime. This led to President Nixon’s resignation in August 1974.

The confidence in our government was already low because of the events that occurred surrounding the Vietnam War during the presidencies of Johnson and Nixon. The news of the break-in and the discovery of President Nixon’s apparent involvement in the cover-up of the break-in led to a further erosion of our confidence in our government. Both of these events, the break-in and the cover-up, were factors in shattering whatever confidence the American people had in the government. Some people would say that this loss of confidence has not yet been restored to the present day.

How is Gene proud in A Separate Peace by John Knowles?

Part of the definition of the word "proud" on dictionary.com is "showing a high opinion of one's own dignity, importance, or superiority." With this definition in mind, Gene certainly does have a feeling of self-importance at different times in A Separate Peace. Like any teenager, he is also conflicted between feeling inferior to others in his peer group. In an effort not to feel so poorly, however, Gene seeks for an understanding of himself that produces feelings of pride. One such instance where Gene is prideful is in chapter 4 when he argues with Finny about studying rather than going outside to play. Gene redoubles his efforts to enhance his academic skills to offset the fact that Phineas is the best athlete at school. Finally, Gene comes to a conclusion about himself and Phineas:

"I was more and more certainly becoming the best student in the school; Phineas was without question the best athlete, so in that way we were even. But while he was a very poor student I was a pretty good athlete, and when everything was thrown into the scales they would in the end tilt definitely toward me"(55).

The quote above certainly shows Gene painting himself in a better light than he probably deserved. It's this very prideful and competitive attitude that drives the darkness in him to come out during a moment of weakness--when he jounces Phineas out of a tree that breaks his friend's leg. Ironically, Gene is also proud to be Finny's best friend, even though he loses sight of it for a time. A while before the above-mentioned argument between the boys, Gene says the following:

"He (Phineas) got away with everything because of the extraordinary kind of person he was. It was quite a compliment to me, as a matter of fact, to have such a person choose me for his best friend"(29).

What political and moral gains did African Americans make during the Reconstruction and the years following?

The gains for African-Americans in the Reconstruction Era were huge. The obvious one is that slavery was ended, and millions of African-Americans who had been enslaved were freed.

Much of the African-American population moved out of the South, or tried to reunited with family members they had been separated from due to slavery. Some traveled hundreds of miles in order to do so.

But the gains went much further than that; for the first time in US history, African-American men were given the right to vote and hold office---and several African-American men were elected to local and state offices in several states. African-American families were allowed to send their children to school for the first time, and did so in droves. Literacy among African-American children skyrocketed from almost zero to near parity with White children.

This new enfranchisement also gave the Republican Party a large number of seats (remember, Lincoln's Republican Party was actually the liberal party at the time), and also led to the formation of uniquely African-American churches, mostly variants of Baptist and Methodist.

For a time, it really seemed as though White and African-American people might finally be able to live together in harmony.

Sadly, this was not to be, at least not yet. The new laws in Reconstruction, along with the Civil War itself, fomented resentment among many White people in the South, resulting in the formation of various White Supremacist organizations including the Klu Klux Klan.

Eventually the Reconstruction laws collapsed, and were replaced with a series of discriminatory laws called the Jim Crow laws. Racist White leaders were unable to completely roll back the clock---slavery remained illegal, for instance---but they did manage to suppress the political representation of African-Americans and generally make life awful for them once again. Racial segregation began during this period, and would not be eliminated by law until the 1960s. (De facto, it arguably has not been eliminated today!)

How does Napoleon change over time?

Napoleon, based on Joseph Stalin, has a desire for power from early on, but grows more corrupt and less like an animal as he becomes more powerful. At first, this "rather fierce-looking Berkshire boar" is considered to have "depth of character," though what kind of character is not specified. At first too, Napoleon treats the other animals generously, giving them double food rations after they run Mr. Jones off the farm. Later, he surrounds himself with fierce dogs and cuts the other animal's rations in half if they don't work extra hours. Despite the commandment that decrees that all animals are equal, he sets himself above the others.

Increasingly, Napoleon breaks the animal code, ultimately breaking all seven of the Seven Commandments. He moves into a house and sleeps in a bed. He institutes a reign of terror, killing animals who oppose him By the end of the novel, he is walking on two legs, wearing human clothing and drinking alcohol. In fact, he can't be distinguished from a human. 

It is interesting that Thornton has to die before Buck can join the wild. Does this suggest that primitivity is incompatible with love? Does Buck...

Sure, Thornton's death could suggest that being primitive is incompatible with love.  The case most certainly could be made that once Thornton is gone, any remaining love in Bucks' life is also completely gone; therefore, he is able to embrace "The Call of the Wild."  I just don't agree that being primitive and having love are mutually exclusive.  I think that a reader could argue that Buck didn't lose any love with the death of Thorton.  Instead Buck transferred those feelings from humans to his nature surroundings and his pack.  That's not weird, there are plenty of human examples of people that found more peace/love/comfort among nature than they did around people.  Chris McCandless would be one. I might be able to make a case for Thoreau and other Transcendental/Romantic authors and artists too.   

As for Buck having to choose certain characteristics over others, yes Buck absolutely had to do that.  But it always depended on the situation.  Buck had to be submissive when dealing with the man in the red sweater.  Buck had to be dominant with his pack.  Buck could choose to be "softer" and more loving with Thornton.  Buck would choose his characteristics based on his situation.   

Who is the first of the three Christmas spirits who visits Scrooge?

Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by four spirits altogether.  The first spirit in general is the ghost of Jacob Marley, his former business partner.  It is Marley who tells Ebenezer that he will be visited by three Christmas ghosts over the course of the night.

The first Christmas ghost to visit is the Ghost of Christmas Past.  It is his job to help Ebenezer to revisit the Christmases of his past, scenes that include his former fiancee, Belle, and his now deceased sister, Fan.  It is in Scrooge's past that we meet Fezziwig, a shrewd businessman who manages to also enjoy a hearty personal life.  In Fezziwig, we see the potential for what Scrooge could become.

When the Ghost of Christmas Past leaves, the Ghost of Christmas Present arrives.  He, in turn, is followed by the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come.

What does Atticus say about Bob Ewell's guilt?

During Atticus' closing remarks he explains how Mayella felt guilty about breaking the "time-honored code" by seducing a black man. He mentions that her father, Bob Ewell, witnessed the encounter and elaborates on Bob's reaction. He says that they don't know for sure, "but there is circumstantial evidence to indicate that Mayella Ewell was beaten savagely by someone who led almost exclusively with his left." (Lee 272) He says that they do know Bob Ewell "swore out a warrant" that resulted in Tom Robinson's arrest. Atticus makes it clear to the jury that Bob Ewell witnessed Mayella physically interact with Tom Robinson and beat her shortly after. In 1930's Alabama, interracial relationships were viewed with contempt and was the reason Bob Ewell beat his daughter. Earlier in the trial, Atticus makes Bob write his signature. Bob's signature indicates that he is left-handed. When Tom Robinson is on the witness stand, the jury finds out that he has a crippled left arm. Mayella's injuries were predominately to the right side of her face, which suggests that a left-handed person beat her. This evidence infers that Bob Ewell beat his daughter. Atticus explains Bob's motivation to beat his daughter and claim Tom Robinson raped her. Bob was attempting to protect his family's integrity and cover up his brutal assault on his daughter.

How did Europeans change the Americas?

The Americas have been drastically changed through colonization and conquest by European peoples, but I will do my best to address this widespread and complex transformation.

Before the arrival of Europeans in the 15th and 16th centuries, First Nations peoples throughout the Americas had a subsistence lifestyle primarily composed of hunting, gathering, and small-scale farming. They practiced their indigenous faiths, experienced a diversity of linguistic and material culture, and while most were rather egalitarian, some were heavily stratified and were lead by god-kings. Though sometimes at the whim of nature, they had successful economies and produced rich material culture, some of which survives today.

When European explorers and colonialists journeyed to the Americas, they captured many slaves, forced conversions, and killed First Nations people through violence and disease. Indigenous life-ways were almost entirely eradicated. The land which First Nations people lived on was taken as property by Europeans and cultivated for the purpose of exporting resources. The Europeans believed that it was their duty to "civilize" and shepherd the indigenous populations of the New World so that they could be saved in heaven after death. This religious ideology was used to promote the economic exploitation of land and people in the Americas, including people captured in Africa and transported as a source of  labor.

The colonization of the Americas has almost entirely eliminated the culture, language, and people who are native to these places. European culture and people were transplanted to effectively replace the indigenous cultures. A great diversity of blended cultures exist today, many with influence from the First Nations populations who once lived on the same land. Though the Americas have been developed into many beautiful and thriving societies, it cannot make up for the genocide which began over five hundred years ago. The diversity which once existed was quickly replaced by a rather small selection of European (primarily Italian, Iberian, and English) culture, language, religion, and industry.

What does the description of Granddaddy's actions suggest about his character in Toni Cade Bambara's "Blues Ain't No Mockin Bird"?

In Toni Cade Bambara's "Blues Ain't No Mockin Bird," Granddaddy's actions show he is a no-nonsense sort of man who is very used to surviving in harsh conditions. He is also capable of being very respectful.

Granddaddy's no-nonsense survival disposition is seen the moment he enters the story, walking out of the woods with a dying chicken hawk slung across his back, which he has just hunted for dinner. Because he is a no-nonsense sort of person, he is not at all squeamish by the sight of blood or the bird's last struggles to survive. He knows the hawk is necessary for his family's and his own survival, so he doesn't give the bird's death a moment's thought. We further see his no-nonsense survival attitude when he throws his hammer at the attacking hawk.

Despite how harsh his survival tactics seem, Granddaddy is also a very respectful man. To an extent, he is equally harsh in his cold yet gentlemanly treatment of the two trespassing men he wants to leave his property. For example, as soon as he rescues them from the attacking hawk, he says very sternly and quietly yet gentlemanly, "Good day, gentlemen." He then silently holds out his huge hand in a demanding fashion until the camera man relinquishes his camera. While the reader might expect Granddaddy to destroy the camera, he doesn't. He only opens it up to expose the film, then gives it back to the camera man. He reminds the two trespassers they are "standin in the misses' flower bed" and walks off into the house, leaving the two men to go back the way they came from, across the meadow.

Granddaddy uses his actions of greeting the men, destroying their film, and reminding them about the flower garden to drive the men off his property. While his actions are strong and assertive, they are also very gentlemanly—much more gentlemanly than the actions of either of the two trespassers. Therefore, Granddaddy's actions show he is a respectful gentleman who has learned how to survive in a harsh, racially prejudiced, and impoverished environment.

In Hamlet, is there any interplay between how individuals perceive themselves and how they are perceived by others?

Yes. The idea of acting and perception are key themes in Hamlet and many other plays of Shakespeare's. The play revolves around Hamlet, the young prince. He continually deceives others and himself in his efforts to find his moral center and avenge his father.

For example, early in the play the other characters misunderstand Hamlet's strange behavior. He is deeply upset by his father's death and his mother's quick marriage. The courtiers falsely believe that this is because of his relationship with Ophelia. Because of this mistake, Claudius and others perhaps underestimate the threat he posses until later in the play. Additionally, the disregard for his true feelings alienates him even further from his mother and Ophelia.

Even more clearly, Hamlet later fakes madness in order to deceive his enemies. This act deeply changes Hamlet's character and leads some experts of the play to even conclude that the act eventually drives the prince to genuine insanity.

A final example would be the play that Hamlet stages to confirm his uncle's guilt. His uncle appears normal in some respects, but Hamlet believes the emotions of the play will lead Claudius to break the act and reveal his true feelings. The fiction of the play reveals the truth of the king's feelings. 

This continuing theme of acting, lies, and false perception is a key theme in Hamlet. It explores the relationship between fiction and reality. 

What is Romeo like at the beginning of Romeo and Juliet? How does he speak of love?

In the beginning of Romeo and Juliet, Romeo is pretty heartbroken and to him love is a bunch of conflicting things.

1.1.183-186 (Act.Scene.line)

O heavy lightness, serious vanity,

Misshapen chaos of well-seeming forms,

Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health,

Still-waking sleep that is not what it is!

For Romeo, love is great but at the same time horrible and this is why he uses oxymorons to describe the feeling.

He continues 1.1.195-201

This love that thou hast shown

Doth add more grief to too much of mine own.

Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs;

Being purged, a fire sparkling in lovers eyes;

Being vexed, a sea nourished with loving tears.

What is it else? A madness most discreet,

A choking gall, and a preserving sweet.

Basically Romeo is overcome with grief because the woman he loves does not love him back. He feels like his every thought is consumed with her and says that he cannot forget her. In the beginning of the play, love is not on Romeo's side. He seems to have a negative outlook on it because he is so depressed over it!

I'm doing archetypes for my English class but I'm stuck at "underdog." Who from a movie can be considered an underdog? I also need examples and...

The underdog archetype is generally a character that has some natural talent in an area, but is also lacking in other areas.  Perhaps the underdog is lacking in experience or proper gear.  The underdog is always predicted to lose, but usually wins.  In some cases the character does in fact lose the competition but wins in some other way. Perhaps he/she gains fame from the competition or at least earns the respect of the bigger, stronger, faster opponent.  

Probably the best underdog movie example that I can provide is the original Rocky movie.  The reigning champion, Apollo Creed, essentially picks Rocky Balboa's name out of a hat, and offers him a chance at the title.  Even with 24 hours to go before the fight, Rocky admits to himself that he can't win.  Knowing that, he decides to try and "go the distance" during the fight.  That means, he is going to try and complete all 15 rounds and leave the decision in the hands of the judges.  By the end of the fight, everybody is rooting for Rocky to win.  He doesn't, but he earns the respect of Apollo.  

Other singular underdog characters from movies include Rudy from Rudy, Dusty Crophopper from Planes, and Daniel from The Karate Kid. 

Most often though, Hollywood will generally make an underdog movie about an entire team being the underdog.  Films that do that are Cool Runnings, Hoosiers, Miracle, The Longest Yard, The Bad News Bears, Major League, The Replacements, and The Mighty Ducks, 

If we compare The Giver and The Diary of Anne Frank, what are the similarities and differences between the feelings of Jonas and Anne ?

One similarity between Jonas and Anne is how they end up affirming their individuality in a world of conformity.

Jonas recognizes the terror of the world in front of him.  He comes to understand that what he used to accept must be rejected.  This realization is in the form of his reaction to the Community and the deception within it. When Jonas understands this, he displays resistance against the conformist world around him.  This can be seen when he "did not take his pill" because of "something within him, something that had grown there through the memories, told him to throw the pill away." It can also be seen when he and the Giver devise the plot to escape and to also free Gabriel from being "released."  Jonas's struggle to survive shows his feelings of individuality in a community based on conformity.

Like Jonas, Anne struggles with her feelings in the face of an unforgiving society.  She recognizes that the Nazi threat is one predicated upon sameness.  People who are different do not survive, and like Jonas, she understands that her family's reaction of hiding is a way to affirm individuality.  Anne expresses this when she suggests that "I see the eight of us in the Annex as if we were a patch of blue sky surrounded by menacing black clouds. . . . [They loom] before us like an impenetrable wall, trying to crush us, but not yet able to." Anne understands that her feelings of individuality is a direct response against the Nazis.  While she and her family are hiding, the act of doing so is an example of resistance to the Nazi conformity. When Anne writes about her idealism, it can be seen as a clear statement against the Nazis:

It’s difficult in times like these: ideals, dreams and cherished hopes rise within us, only to be crushed by grim reality. It’s a wonder I haven’t abandoned all my ideals, they seem so absurd and impractical. Yet I cling to them because I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are truly good at heart.

Like Jonas, Anne believes in her feelings.  She understands her belief system puts her at odds with the oppressive social forces. However, like Jonas, she stands by her beliefs.

A difference between Anne and Jonas is that one exists in reality and the other is in fiction.  This shows a difference in how they act upon their feelings. Jonas is able to physically leave the Community with Gabriel, while Anne has to go into hiding.  If she is seen by the Nazis out in public, she is almost certainly going to be caught and transported to a death camp.  However, this difference does not take away from how both Jonas and Anne see their feelings as an essential part of their identity.

What do you think about and what did you learn from the resources regarding the symbolic power of the constitution? Is it a good or bad thing...

The basic concept of "symbolic power" derives from Distinction, a book written in 1984 by the French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu. It derives from Engels's notion of "false consciousness" and sometimes is referred to as "soft power." This concept is used to explain the puzzling phenomenon of why the proletariat acts so frequently against its own interests, for example in the case of poor, badly educated white southerners typically voting for Republicans who advocate tax breaks for the rich and weakening the social safety net. The notion of symbolic power suggests that many people believe the self-serving ideological constructs designed to maintain inequality to be foundational truths or natural laws, and thus do not question them. 

The veneration with which both parties cite the Constitution and Founding Fathers in United States political discourse is an example of such symbolic power, as your articles discuss, albeit in more popular and less scientific terms than Bourdieu. In reality, it is a document written by a small group of wealthy white men in the eighteenth century. As very few American would argue that Adam Smith, David Hume, Alexander Pope, or Thomas Paine wrote works of infallible wisdom, that the Constitution is treated as such by many politicians, almost as the scriptural text of a cult, shows the operation of symbolic power. 

The articles you have been assigned argue that it might be time to look at the Constitution more as an important, thoughtful, and historically significant document and less as a sort of infallible inspired text. In the words of Jefferson cited by one of your articles: 

Some men look at constitutions with sanctimonious reverence, and deem them like the ark of the covenant, too sacred to be touched …But ... laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. 

As you work on your paper, you should begin by elaborating the concept of symbolic power. Next, you should choose two or three specific areas in which you think society and technology have changed dramatically and argue for whether or not the Constitution remains relevant to them. For example, you might look at how the notion of a well-regulated militia and the right to bear arms should be reviewed in light of changing military technology. One question to ask is whether a law written to regulate single-shot muskets has any relevance to machine guns or nuclear bombs, or whether in an era of high technology warfare it makes sense to have amateur militias at all rather than professional soldiers. 

What is the relationship between Jem and Miss Stephanie Crawford?

Miss Stephanie Crawford is the neighborhood gossip. Jem gets much of his information regarding Boo Radley from Miss Crawford and believes the rumors she spreads about him. She claims that she witnessed Boo peeking into her window at night, and perpetuates the rumors that Boo Radley is a violent individual. Miss Crawford tells Jem that Boo stabbed his father with a pair of scissors without warning while he was cutting out pictures for his scrapbook. Jem is gullible and believes everything that Miss Stephanie says about Boo. Jem adds his own unique, gory details to Boo's legend and shares the rumors he hears with Scout and Dill. Miss Stephanie shares rumors about Boo's history and lifestyle with Jem because he is one of the only people who believes her. Miss Stephanie is continually looking for attention and Jem is receptive to the ridiculous rumors she spreads.

A boy of mass 45 kg stands on a square wooden block of 50 cm side. Calculate the pressure exerted by the boy on the block?

Pressure is defined as force exerted per unit area (perpendicular to the direction of application of force, or the area over which the force actually acts). Here the force is exerted by a boy of mass 45 kg. Given the mass of boy, we can use Newton's Second Law of motion to determine the force as the product of mass and acceleration (g or acceleration due to gravity, in this case) as:

Force exerted by the boy = mg = 45 kg x 9.81 m/s^2 = 441.45 N

Area over which the force acts = side^2 (for a square)

= (0.5 m)^2 = 0.25 m^2.

Thus, the pressure exerted by the boy = force/area = 441.45 N/ 0.25 m^2 = 1765.8 N/m^2.

Thus, the boy exerts a pressure of 1765.8 N/m^2 on the square wooden block.

Hope this helps.

What is the theme of "The Cook's Tale" in Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales?

"The Cook's Tale" in The Canterbury Tales is up for debate because Chaucer left it unfinished. "The Cook's Tale" comes directly after the Reeve and Miller's stories, in which the two men insult each other's professions and tell of debauchery and mischief. The Cook, now so drunk he has fallen off his horse, begins his own tale of the same sort.

He speaks of an apprentice named Perkin Reveler, who loves to gamble with dice. He steals money from his master and spends it all. He parties and is a total ladies' man. Just after the master fires Perkin, the story ends. Taken at face value, it seems the moral of the story is that bad behavior is punished, but the Cook isn't known for his good behavior, and the next lines show Perkin, rather than changing his ways, finds a friend who is equally corrupt! We cannot speculate what happens next to Perkin, but based on the Reeve and Miller's stories, it is clear he is involved in sinful activities and the story will likely be full of jokes and situational irony. 

Some interpret Perkin as Adam, the master as God, and "The Cook's Tale" as a story of Adam being kicked out of Eden. If this is the case, the main theme would be the sinfulness and corruption of mankind. Other speculated themes could be the fickleness and wildness of youth, and the benefits and costs of gambling.

What is an agreement or contract made among a group of people?

An agreement or contract made among a group of people is called a social contract.  Social contracts have existed throughout time.  A social contract does not necessarily have to be written.  It can be implied and understood between the parties involved. 

One notable thinker of the Age of Enlightenment was Thomas Hobbes. He believed that peopled needed governments to impose order and that people in a society should agree to give up some freedoms to a stronger power in exchange for peace and safety. Hobbes called this exchange between society and government the social contract. The Magna Carta (1215) is one of the earliest social and political contracts. 

Jean-Jacques Rousseau believed that government should work for the benefit of the common good, not just for the wealthy. 

What then is government?  It is an intermediary body established between the subjects and the sovereign . . .  

—Jean Jacques Rousseau, The Social Contract, 1763

Does anyone write a letter in Chapters 5-6 in The Outsiders book?

In Chapter 5, Pony and Johnny find themselves on the run after Johnny kills Bob, a Soc, in the act of defending Pony. Both boys hide out at an abandoned church in Windrixville.

Eventually, another Greaser, Dally Winston, comes by to check on Johnny and Pony. When Pony first sets eyes on Dally, his first questions are about his brothers, Darry and Sodapop, and whether the police are still after them. Dally puts off Pony's questions by suggesting that all of them get some breakfast first. He assures them that it's safe to go out because the police think that the boys are heading to Texas.

However, before they leave, Dally presents a letter to Pony: it's from Pony's brother, Sodapop. Sodapop is pretty worried about Pony and has included half his paycheck with the letter. In the letter, Sodapop admits that he and Darry took it badly when Pony ran off. He confesses that Darry greatly regretted hitting Pony, and both older brothers were pretty concerned when both Johnny and Pony turned up missing after Bob's killing.

Sodapop writes that he and Darry were questioned by the police and that they told the police everything they could. He confesses that he can't believe Johnny could kill anyone. In all, Sodapop says that Darry is beside himself because he doesn't know where Pony is, and Dally won't tell him. Sodapop really wants Pony and Johnny to turn themselves in but understands that they cannot do so; turning themselves in would get Johnny in trouble for killing Bob. Here, we get a glimpse of what the Greasers think of the law: they don't have much faith that the law will deal fairly with a Greaser who comes from the impoverished East side of town.

Sodapop ends the letter by telling Pony that he and Johnny have become famous and that there's even a paragraph about them in the newspaper. After reading the letter, Dally takes Pony and Johnny to a Dairy Queen; there, Pony orders a Pepsi, and both boys gorge themselves with barbecue sandwiches and banana splits. During their conversation, Dally surprises both boys when he confides to them that the Greasers now have a spy working for them: Cherry Valence, the female Soc they met at the drive-in movie theater.

Why is a gap left between two sections of a bridge?

Basically all materials expand upon heating, whether we take the example of metals, water or other materials. This expansion is a function of the material properties (specifically the coefficient of thermal expansion), amount of heat supplied, degrees the temperature rises, etc. Thermal expansion takes place due to the increase in the kinetic energy of the constituent molecules as they are heated.

Thermal expansion is the reason we leave some gaps between sections of a bridge or two consecutive sections of railway tracks. With an increase in temperature (during daytime or during summer months), the bridge sections or the railway track sections will expand. With a drop in temperature (at night or during the winter), these sections will contract. If there was no gap between such sections, this regular expansion and contraction would cause stresses and enhanced wear and tear. In the case of bridges, this can also cause deflection of its sections.

Hope this helps. 

In the short story, Through the Tunnel, what descriptive are given about the tunnel?

On the first occasion that Jerry finds the tunnel, the narrator describes it as "an irregular, dark gap" into which Jerry really could not see.  When he tried to push himself into the tunnel, he found that he had to turn to the side in order to fit his shoulders in, and he got "inside as far as his waist.  He could see nothing ahead."  Just then, something "soft and clammy touched his mouth" and he panicked, thinking about octopuses and weeds that might entangle him.  Jerry backed out of the tunnel then and saw "a harmless tentacle of seaweed drifting in the mouth of the tunnel."  At this point, he called it a day.

When Jerry eventually does swim through the tunnel, it is described as a "small rock-bound hole filled with yellowish-grey water."  The water pushed his body up to the roof of the tunnel, and the roof was "sharp and pained his back."  As he swims along, the roof begins to feel "slimy as well as sharp."  He continued, and the tunnel seemed to widen, and the water became a "clear jewel-green" due to a crack in the rock above him.  It became dark again and then there was "an explosion of green light" as he reached the tunnel's end.

"John Keats is haunted by the conflict between the ideal world and the real world." Discuss this statement in relation to his poem, "Ode to a...

In the real world, Keats (and all of humanity) must deal with the good and the bad. Keats had always been troubled by the notion of death. In the poem, he claims that he does not envy the nightingale, but he does yearn for the nightingale's carefree spirit, not burdened by the notion of death and its own mortality. Keats, speaking in the poem, considers drinking himself into oblivion so that he might "leave the world unseen". In other words, he would like to escape the real world and go to some idealistic place where/when he would not have the burdens he is troubled with. 

In the third stanza, he is clear in his wish to forget what the nightingale has never known. He wants to forget his fears and worries: 

The weariness, the fever, and the fret, 

Here, where men sit and hear each other groan; 

Where palsy shakes a few, sad, last gray hairs, 

Where youth grows pale, spectre-thin, and dies; 

Since he can not escape to an actual ideal world, he will try to escape to an idealistic place in his own mind and through poetry ("poesy"). In the last stanza, after imagining his way to an ideal, he is signaled back to the real world with the word "forlorn". He had managed to imagine his way to the idea of an ideal existence with no burdensome thoughts, but his "fancy" (imagination) is a "deceiving elf". This means that his imagination could only create the illusion of an ideal world. The nightingale's song ("plaintive anthem") represents the ideal world - it fades and seems to have been like a dream. His ideal escape is elusive in that it is only apprehended (experienced) in thought and poetry. 

Which type of organisms developed first due to the early environmental conditions on earth?

The first cells are thought to have been similar to Archaea of today. Archaea is a group of single-celled prokaryotic cells. Being prokaryotic, Archaea lack a nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles that are characteristic of more developed eukaryotic cells. Archaea are able to live in extreme environments. Halophiles are a group of Archaea that are able live in extremely salty environments. Thermophiles are a group Archaea that are able to live in extremely hot temperatures. Because Archaea are primitive in structure and are able to survive in such harsh environments, they are thought to resemble the cells that developed during Earth’s extreme and prehistoric conditions.

The first cell is thought to have developed 3.8 billion years ago. At that time, Earth had little free oxygen in its atmosphere. Instead, the atmosphere was mainly composed of carbon dioxide and nitrogen. Other trace gases were also present such as hydrogen, hydrogen sulfide, and carbon monoxide. The presence of carbon dioxide is thought to have made any water that was present fairly acidic. The temperature is suspected to have been much hotter than it is today. Therefore, cells could have that developed during such a time would have needed to be able to sustain such conditions.

Why is it dark inside a forest?

From our perspective as people walking through or standing in a forest, the level of light may vary. When a forest is dark, this is caused by something called the canopy. In forests, the uppermost layers of branches and leaves may be so densely packed that it prevents much light from shining down to the ground. Where there is especially dense growth, as in a rain forest, things can be quite dark indeed! The canopy may offer shade to animals who live below, as well as protecting some smaller plants from too much sunlight. That being said, the canopy may also "starve-out" plants which are competing for sunlight. 

Of course, if it is nighttime and the sun is not shining, a forest will be dark regardless of how dense tree growth may be.

In the reaction between ethanol and oxygen, which element is reduced and which element is oxidized, and why?

The balanced chemical reaction between oxygen and ethanol can be written as:

`C_2H_5OH + 3O_2 -> 2CO_2 + 3H_2O`

Here, 1 mole of ethanol reacts with 3 moles of oxygen to generate 2 moles of carbon dioxide and 3 moles of water. 

To determine which element has been reduced and which has been oxidized here, we need to calculate the oxidation number of each element in this reaction. The element which has lost electrons is termed "oxidized" and the one which has gained electrons will be term "reduced". 

The oxidation number of carbon in ethanol is

= 1/2 x (0 - 6 x 1 + 2) = -2

and in carbon dioxide = 0 - 2 x (-2) = 4

Thus, carbon has lost 6 electrons and is the element that has been oxidized.

The oxidation number of oxygen in oxygen gas is 0 and in water or carbon dioxide, it is -2. Thus, oxygen has gained 2 electrons and is the element that has reduced. 

Therefore, carbon is oxidized and oxygen is reduced in the reaction between ethanol and oxygen.

Hope this helps.

What are the aspects of Pneumatology?

Pneumatology is the area of Christianity that is concerned with the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, which is the third person of the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). There are many aspects of the the Holy Spirit. First of all, the Holy Spirit is just as much a person as the Father and Son are. In addition, just like the Father and Son, the Holy Spirit has a personality that is capable of many actions and emotions such as loving, praying, grieving, punishing, etc. In fact, the Holy Spirit is the aspect of God that actually influences our emotions and will. Another aspect of the Holy Spirit is that He is omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient. This means that He is always present, all-powerful, and knows all. The Holy Spirit is also eternal, never ending and is everywhere. 

Are there any similes in chapters 1-3 of the book Lyddie?

Yes, there are several similes--comparisons using "like" or "as"--in the first three chapters of the book. When Lyddie's mother quotes the Bible, she quotes a passage that contains a simile that compares the devil to a "roaring lion." Lyddie and Charles are so happy to have the plentiful milk and cream after the calf is born that they feel "rich as townsfolk." In chapter 2 when Lyddie and Charlie come to the farm of their neighbors, the Stevenses, Lyddie feels envious. Her envy is compared to a "noxious vine." Although Lyddie "snapped it off," her envy has deep roots and cannot be eradicated easily. The Stevenses invite Charlie and Lyddie to eat with them, and since they have had very little to eat over the winter, the meal looks to them "like a king's feast." Finally, when Lyddie gets to Cutler's Tavern, Mistress Cutler at first looks at her "as though she were a stray dog who had wandered close to her house." These comparisons add interest to the writing and help readers better understand the feelings that the characters experience.

In The Pearl, summarize the events of Kino and Juana's escape and return to home. How might these events have been avoided?

Kino and Juana must escape from the law, who is pursuing Kino for his murder of his attacker. This was an act of self-defense, but Kino runs in fear. He may perhaps be justified, if a native has a chance for equal treatment under the law. It is well known that he has the pearl and that someone would possibly try to steal it. Appealing to the authorities might have saved him from what is to come.

Kino and Juana run north, hiding in a cave when they discover they are pursued by three men. Kino tries to cover his tracks, but he realizes these men are expert trackers and will see the signs of deception. He decides that he will have to kill them, which he does. In the assault, however, a gun fires and Coyotito is shot and killed. Kino and Juan return home, there to presumably face the consequences, which are going to be more, coupled with the loss of their baby, than if they had stayed. Believing the pearl is the cause of the evil that has befallen them, they throw it back into the sea.

Describe "The Canterville Ghost" as a story.

"The Canterville Ghost" makes fun of (parodies) the typical ghost story. In the typical story, a frightening ghost haunts an ancestral English hall, terrorizing the people who live there. In this story, Wilde turns that idea on its head: a practical American family terrorizes a ghost. They are not afraid of it at all. When it leaves bloodstains on the library floor, they simply rub the stains out with a new cleaning formula. When the ghost tries to scare them, the young Otis boys shoot at it with a pellet gun and make a water slide so it will slip and fall. 

But beneath the comedy, Wilde has a more serious purpose. He raises our sympathy and compassion for the ghost. The ghost is not simply a "thing" that is out there and must be destroyed, but a human being (albeit one existing between the living and the dead) with emotions and problems. In encouraging the reader not to stereotype an "other," such as a ghost, Wilde calls into question the ways we stereotype people who are not quite like us. 

In Saki's "The Open Window," please describe the author's tone and purpose behind 4 details from the text.

The first important detail is the fact that Mr. Framton Nuttel is suffering from a nervous condition and is visiting the country in an effort to become healthy. The tone suggests that people should treat him delicately because he is sensitive to stress. The author's purpose behind this detail is to create a sense of empathy for Nuttel as he nervously meets new people.

Next, after introducing Vera, the narrator says that she first confirms with Mr. Nuttel that he doesn't know anyone in the area, and then waits for them to be completely alone before divulging the tragic events that allegedly fell upon the house three years earlier. The tone for this detail seems secretive and deceptive. The purpose is to create an atmosphere for telling secrets in a confidential way. If Nuttel feels as if Vera is telling him a secret, he will be less likely to ask the aunt about the truth of it.

Another very important detail is the fact that the large French widow is open in October. Without this open in October, there would be no mystery from which to derive a tragic story. The tone behind the detail is ambiguous, yet creepy. The author's purpose behind the open window is to create a specific, concrete image for Nuttel (and the reader) to focus on as Vera tells the horrific story. The window changes from a mere inanimate object, to a symbolic gateway for tragedy and possibly ghosts.

Finally, the detail about the song lyrics, "Bertie, why do you bound?" signals to Nuttel and the reader that Ronnie is coming. Because he sings those words when he comes home from hunting, the tone behind this detail is ironic, eerie and spooky. The purpose is to help validate Vera's story and the possibility that ghosts exist. It is a major factor behind Nuttel believing the story as well.

What is the significance of the deafening heartbeat in "The Tell-Tale Heart"?

In Edgar Allan Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart," the narrator imagines that he hears the sound of a beating heart throughout the story. The heart sounds like a watch muffled or enveloped in cloth; it is a steady ticking that only the narrator believes he hears. At the start of the story, the narrator states that his senses are heightened, especially his hearing. This justifies his belief that he can hear a heart beating.

At first, he thinks it is the old man's heart but after he kills and dismembers the old man, he believes he can still hear the heart beating under the floorboards of the house. When the police are interrogating him, the sound of the beating heart drives him crazy and he confesses to the crime. Of course he could not hear the heartbeat--it was the sound of his guilty conscience. Poe uses the heart beating as a symbol to represent guilt in this story.

Who was the real villain in "The Devil and Tom Walker"?

This is an interesting question, but I think the "correct" answer will strongly depend upon the reason the question is being asked. For example, if this is a comprehension question to see if someone has read the story, the answer may be a bit less nuanced than if it is being asked to question the role of morality and responsibility in the story.

Without getting too reductionist about the elements involved in the story, we don't have too many factors to work with when we consider who we can blame as the villain. There's Scratch, Tom, Tom's wife, the people of Massachusetts, and possibly Captain Kidd. If we're considering things in terms of conflicts, such as man vs. nature, then we might consider religion, human nature, and society or social standards to be involved. 

Considering the way the question is phrased, I think we can eliminate Scratch as the real villain. Besides the question being a very leading one (suggesting that the "obvious" villain is not the real one), Scratch doesn't actually force Tom to do anything or commit any sort of crime, other than the murder of Tom's wife, but this is presented as hearsay anyway. We also can't really blame Tom's wife, nor the people of Massachusetts, since they don't do anything to significantly drive the story or provide a root cause of evil. 

Tom seems a likely candidate for the villain, but we could also argue that it isn't Tom himself, but the negative aspects of human nature which he embodies that are at fault; for example, his greed and miserliness, and his shortsighted pursuit of material wealth. So, the simple answer is that Tom is the real villain because he's the one who actually committed all of the evil acts in the story, but on a deeper level the villain is human nature itself.

I have to write a paper on a critic's point of view of Huckleberry Finn. When it comes to Julius Lester's critique, do you agree with his arguments...

In order to help you answer this question, I need to know the title of the critique to which you are responding. For example, Julius Lester wrote an article called "Morality and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," which appeared in The Mark Twain Journal in 1984. Lester describes visiting the boyhood home of Mark Twain in Hannibal, Missouri, and being turned away from every hotel in town because he and his family were African American. He relates that experience to the moral implications of Twain's novel.

To respond to Lester's critique, focus on a few specific arguments he makes. For example, Lester argues that literature cannot be separated from morality and that the novel's depiction of race is both inaccurate and "dangerously, fatally seductive." Readers are likely to accept the novel's message without giving the necessary consideration to the complexities of race relations. Lester points out that Twain makes a faulty comparison between Huck and Jim, portraying them both as slaves. While Huck is abused by his father, he still has privileges that slaves such as Jim do not.

Your job is to take part in the conversation about The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn that Lester has begun. You might consider whether Lester's response to the novel is different from your own. Does he bring up issues that you failed to consider? Are there issues that Lester has also failed to consider? Cite specific quotes from Lester's article as well as specific quotes from the novel to illustrate why you agree or disagree with his arguments.

Was Poe a member of any associations?

Literal associations would be hard to determine. He was not a member of the University of Virginia or West Point Alumni Associations; to the degree that they might have existed in the late 1820s, he dropped out of the former after a single semester and endeavored to get court-martialed out of the latter.

He was thematically associated with the Romantic literary movement in England, and likely the Gothic one as well, though his literary reputation in England gained little traction during his lifetime. And he was certainly a founder of the mystery genre (as the author of Murders in the Rue Morgue), which developed into an association of sorts (though again, Poe's membership in this was posthumous).

He developed rivalries and enmities within the literary community. He accused Henry Wadsworth Longfellow of plagiarism and in turn was accused of dissolute behavior by his rival Rufus Griswold (whose literary reputation has not endured the test of time). During his lifetime, the man was evidently not much of a joiner. After his death, everybody who could claimed him as a member; his apartment on the Range at the University of Virginia has been enshrined.